Cooking for chickens

[Perris]

I had some gram flour (aka besan, chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour) that needed using up, so I looked for recipes that might make a good chicken treat, and discovered gram muffins. Very easy to make, and a big hit with all members of my flock from 2 week old chicks to 8 year old matrons and roos, I thought I would share it here, in case anyone else finds themselves in a similar position.

The recipe I adapted is this one https://theplantbasedschool.com/chickpea-frittata-muffins/#recipe and I left out the filling for this trial, but when I make it again, I might include any suitable spare veg I have to hand or that I want to offer to the chickens as the filling.

So, to make them, using a standing or hand-held blender, simply combine 1.5 cups of gram flour, 1.5 cups of water, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp baking powder, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp curry powder, 0.5 tsp salt, and a couple of grinds of black pepper.

Pour into a lined 12 muffin tin and bake at 190 degrees C for 25-30 mins. Allow to cool before giving to chickens, of course.

Apparently they'll keep well in an airtight container in the fridge or can be frozen. Or, since they are designed for human consumption, you could eat any spares with your chickens if so inclined

I plan to add more chicken-friendly recipes to this thread as I discover them, and look forward to reading any other recipes that people here make for their flocks, if anyone wants to share them with the rest of us.

 

[DobieLover]

They look good. If I were making exclusively for my flock, I might stuff them with tuna. That would serve a dual purpose to keep me from eating them!

 

[Altairsky]

They look good. If I were making exclusively for my flock, I might stuff them with tuna. That would serve a dual purpose to keep me from eating them!

Same. They look so good I'd eat them lol.

 

[ChaosMom]

This sounds like fun! Thanks for your additional names for gram flour for those in the US. We have graham flour, as in graham crackers, which is a coarse whole wheat grind.

I’m making a frittata tomorrow morning, and any leftovers will go to the chickens.

This is a good basic how-to. I use any vegetables that are starting to look a bit sad, so mine varies every time.
https://cookieandkate.com/best-frittata-recipe/

 

[Perris]

I found an even simpler gram flour recipe, and which is also popular with the flock: it's a sort of pancake.

200g gram flour + 300 ml water + pinch of salt.
Whisk together and let stand for 30 minutes.
Pour onto a griddle/ frying pan/ hot surface to make a pancake-size disc and cook for 2 minutes each side.

Very easy to add a little of any herb or spice you want to include in their diet at the time.

 

[Scatty Hatti]

i am interested in these recipes. My two girls will not touch layers. On another forum there was chat about what chickens got fed before layers came along and people were saying corn, veg, that sort of thing - but they were free ranging. My two have access to grass which is healthy right now but there isnt much - plus large yard with gravel, shrubs etc - so they are not confined but I wouldnt say they really free range as such. So I am worried about them. Someone suggested putting down pellets and leave them to it, they'll eat em when theyre hungry but they havent touched them for 4 days and I havent fed them anything else. Someone else said try just plain wheat. What is gram flour? Is that wheat? Sorry, I am in the UK and names not always the same. Also in the first recipe there is baking powder but isnt that salt in some form which I thought we shouldnt give them? But maybe its a tiny amount. Would value any help. Girls not ill (one is recovering but doing well) and I really do love them. Hate for them to go hungry but know I cant just give treats like I used to. Thanks

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

i am interested in these recipes. My two girls will not touch layers. On another forum there was chat about what chickens got fed before layers came along and people were saying corn, veg, that sort of thing - but they were free ranging. My two have access to grass which is healthy right now but there isnt much - plus large yard with gravel, shrubs etc - so they are not confined but I wouldnt say they really free range as such. So I am worried about them. Someone suggested putting down pellets and leave them to it, they'll eat em when theyre hungry but they havent touched them for 4 days and I havent fed them anything else. Someone else said try just plain wheat. What is gram flour? Is that wheat? Sorry, I am in the UK and names not always the same. Also in the first recipe there is baking powder but isnt that salt in some form which I thought we shouldnt give them? But maybe its a tiny amount. Would value any help. Girls not ill (one is recovering but doing well) and I really do love them. Hate for them to go hungry but know I cant just give treats like I used to. Thanks

Have you tried wetting the pellets down? My old flock were crumble snobs as well and hated pellets. But pellets made into mush they thought was some kind of special treat.

 

[Scatty Hatti]

I did wet them down...and they turned their noses up (or should I say beaks?!!!)

 

[ChaosMom]

i am interested in these recipes. My two girls will not touch layers. On another forum there was chat about what chickens got fed before layers came along and people were saying corn, veg, that sort of thing - but they were free ranging. My two have access to grass which is healthy right now but there isnt much - plus large yard with gravel, shrubs etc - so they are not confined but I wouldnt say they really free range as such. So I am worried about them. Someone suggested putting down pellets and leave them to it, they'll eat em when theyre hungry but they havent touched them for 4 days and I havent fed them anything else. Someone else said try just plain wheat. What is gram flour? Is that wheat? Sorry, I am in the UK and names not always the same. Also in the first recipe there is baking powder but isnt that salt in some form which I thought we shouldnt give them? But maybe its a tiny amount. Would value any help. Girls not ill (one is recovering but doing well) and I really do love them. Hate for them to go hungry but know I cant just give treats like I used to. Thanks

I think gram flour in the UK is chickpea flour.

 

[RoyalChick]

I had some gram flour (aka besan, chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour) that needed using up, so I looked for recipes that might make a good chicken treat, and discovered gram muffins. Very easy to make, and a big hit with all members of my flock from 2 week old chicks to 8 year old matrons and roos, I thought I would share it here, in case anyone else finds themselves in a similar position.

The recipe I adapted is this one https://theplantbasedschool.com/chickpea-frittata-muffins/#recipe and I left out the filling for this trial, but when I make it again, I might include any suitable spare veg I have to hand or that I want to offer to the chickens as the filling.

So, to make them, using a standing or hand-held blender, simply combine 1.5 cups of gram flour, 1.5 cups of water, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp baking powder, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp curry powder, 0.5 tsp salt, and a couple of grinds of black pepper.

Pour into a lined 12 muffin tin and bake at 190 degrees C for 25-30 mins. Allow to cool before giving to chickens, of course.

Apparently they'll keep well in an airtight container in the fridge or can be frozen. Or, since they are designed for human consumption, you could eat any spares with your chickens if so inclined

I plan to add more chicken-friendly recipes to this thread as I discover them, and look forward to reading any other recipes that people here make for their flocks, if anyone wants to share them with the rest of us.

Those do look good. I am curious, what do you normally use gram flour/chickpea flour for? You mentioned it needed using up so I assumed you had it in your pantry for other reasons.